Audio connectors for electronic devices used in military or other government sectors are typically designed with five or six electrical contact pins and must also meet the MIL-DTL-55116 specifications as designated by the U.S. government. Audio connectors include receptacle connectors and plug connectors. The audio receptacle connectors are connected on an outer front or other surface of the electronic device (e.g., a military radio) and connect with corresponding plug connectors that connect (e.g., via a cable) to an auxiliary device such as a phone handset or headset to facilitate the transfer of audio signals between the two devices.
A six pin audio receptacle connector that meets MIL-DTL-55116 specifications is depicted in FIG. 1. A receptacle connector 2 includes an outer shell 4 and an inner core 6 including six spring-loaded, electrical contact pins 8 which are disposed within and extend from the core. Five of the contact pins 8 are aligned in a geometric pattern of a pentagon, where the five contact pins are located at points at which imaginary lines forming the pentagon pattern intersect. As used in the specification and claims, the term “pentagon” refers to a regular pentagon or a five-sided polygon in which the intersecting lines forming the sides of the pentagon have equal lengths. The sixth pin 8 is disposed at a central location within the pentagon pattern formed by the five contact pins 8. The five pin receptacle connector meeting MIL-DTL-55116 specifications is substantially similar in design as the six pin receptacle connector with the exception that central contact pin does not exist in the five pin receptacle connector.
The outer shell 4 of the connector 2 includes a plurality of J-shaped slots or J-slots 10 which are aligned to engage with corresponding bayonet pins 48 disposed on an interior surface portion of the shell 42 of a corresponding plug connector 40 as depicted in FIG. 2. Plug connector 40 includes an inner core 44 recessed within the outer shell 42. The inner core 44 includes six electrical convex bump contacts 46 disposed on the inner core and having the same basic configuration as the contact pins 8. It is noted that, for five pin receptacle connectors, corresponding plug connectors would typically include five bump contacts. Plug connector 40 connects with receptacle connector 2 by inserting the connector shell 42 over the shell 4 of connector 2 and rotating the plug connector (e.g., in a clockwise direction) with respect to the receptacle connector to lock the bayonet pins 48 within J-slots 10, which results in mating of the inner shells of each connector and alignment, engagement and electrical contact of the contact pins 8 with the corresponding bump contacts 46 so as to facilitate transfer of electrical signals between the electrical devices to which the connectors are attached.
It is desirable to provide a connector meeting MIL-DTL-55116 specifications and which is further configured to transfer additional signals or provide further functionality in addition to the transfer of audio signals between electronic devices.